Outer cover on rigid airships



.lsatented Apr. A j, 1927.l i

UNUED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

naar. nm'TLE, 0F AKRON, omo; Assre'non To LUr'rscHIrrBAU zErrELIN GESELL- scrmr'r Mir limscirmmnz'rna Harmens, or FRrEDRrcHsHAFEN, GERMANY.

OUTER COVERON RIGID AIRSHIPS. l

Application filed August 12, 1925, Serial No. 49,712, and in Germany September 251924.

`My invention relates to rigid airships hav- -ing a hull structure over which .anv outer coveris stretched for the purposeof giving the ship a smooth surface. The glrders and trusses of the hull structure support .the outer cover, especiallyin the longitudinal direction of the airship. `It is useful withregard to the good shape and low air resistance of the ship to make the longitudinal girders in their outer chords projecting from theioute'r chords of the girdersl. run-I ningmin other directions." Also the Wire bracing which stays the girder system of the hull should be situated'somewhat in wardly from the plane ,of the outer cover. On the other hand Vit is desirable to provide). for a' good support oftheouter Jcoverl and to have not too-large: panels of it unstayed.

For this purpose according to my invention I provide the inner side of the outer lcover at places which correspondto .cross girders and/or bracing wires with means for'fastening the cover to such girdersor wires. Such means may be laces sewn or otherwise connected 'tothe outer cover at certain intervals 'which are 1 bound to the girders or wires. /ButIprefer 'to use strips or ribbons sew'n or glued or otherwise connected to the inner side ofthegou-ter cover and extending along the glrder or vwireto which they are to be fastened.y These strips or ribbons are provided 'with a ro'w of eyelets through whichlaces are drawn forflac- -ing them to the girders or wires.' The width` of such 'strips should correspond to the listance between outer Acover and the glrder or wire to which the cover is fastened. .By

this I attain the possibility of staying the outer cover in much shorter intervals with-v, out vbeing obliged to provide heavy add"- tional structurall means. This willv be f advantage to the ste-adying of the outer cov `r in general when the ship is making headway and especially at those places where there are extraordinary stresses on the cover asfor example behind the propellers.

rHaving given afgeneral explanation 'of my invention I now want to point it out in detaih referring t0 the drawings in which examples are' shown embodying my invention..

-Fig`.'l is a perspective sview of a` portion of the circumferential hull structure with the v outer cover spread over it, seen from within.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the portion where the staying wires cross, taken on line 2 2 and seen- A of Fig. 1. i y

Fig. .3.is a cross section takenon line The longitudinal girders aland a2 project a little'from the-cross girder b1. cover c is stretched over the longitudinal girders a1 and a2 and is laced4 to them by laces e. The staywires of the 'hull g1 and g2 cross at aj where a spacingmember may be provided. 'l

-Along wire g1 the inside of outer cover c has an' adhesive tape 7c to which a strip z' having a row of eyelets f is fastened. I prefer to glue le to c and to sew z' to Ir. By means of laces 7L the with wire gli.

I do notl want to limit myself to theexamples described or shown inthe drawings as many varia-tions will occurto those skilled in the art. ,y

What- I claim is;

1. A rigid a'rship comprising a hull; said hull comprisin longitudinal members and transverse mem ers; an outer cover stretjched over-said longitudinal members; said transverse members being distanced from. said outer cover; and connecting mea/ns betyveen said transverse members andf said outer COVBI'.

2. A rigid airship comprising a-hull; said hull comprising longitudinal members and transverse members; an outer coyer stretched over said longitudinal members; said transverse members being distanced from said outer cover;

fastened to said outer cover along a vline corresponding to oneof said transverse members; and laces -for lacing said strip to said transverse member.

in the direction of arrow The outer*` a strip with eyeletsY strip z' is connected 3.*A rigid airship comprising a hull; said hull comprising longitudinal girders, transverse girders and transverse wire bracing; an outer cover stretched over saidflongitudinal girders; said transverse Wires bemeans for connecting said transverse Wires with said outer cover.

4. A rigid airship comprising a hull; said Vt5 hull comprising longitudlnal lgirders, transverse girders and transverse wlres; anrouter cover stretche d over said longitudinalgirders;said transverse Wires being distanced from said outer cover; a strip with eyelets fastened to said outer cover corresponding l0 to one of said transverse wires; and laces for lacing said strip to said wire.

KARL HRTTLE. 

